United States v. Tillman , 258 F. App'x 508 ( 2007 )


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  •                             UNPUBLISHED
    UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
    FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT
    No. 06-5200
    UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
    Plaintiff - Appellee,
    versus
    AARON LORENZO TILLMAN,
    Defendant - Appellant.
    Appeal from the United States District Court for the District of
    South Carolina, at Florence.   Terry L. Wooten, District Judge.
    (4:05-cr-00472-TLW)
    Submitted:   November 19, 2007         Decided:     December 10, 2007
    Before WILKINSON, TRAXLER, and GREGORY, Circuit Judges.
    Affirmed by unpublished per curiam opinion.
    Kathy Price Elmore, ORR, ELMORE & ERVIN, LLC, Florence, South
    Carolina, for Appellant.   Arthur Bradley Parham, OFFICE OF THE
    UNITED STATES ATTORNEY, Florence, South Carolina, for Appellee.
    Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit.
    PER CURIAM:
    Aaron Lorenzo Tillman pled guilty pursuant to a written
    plea agreement to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute
    and to distribute a quantity of cocaine base, in violation of 21
    U.S.C. § 846 (2000).       Tillman was sentenced to the statutory
    maximum of 240 months’ imprisonment.       Finding no error, we affirm.
    On appeal, counsel filed a brief pursuant to Anders v.
    California,   
    386 U.S. 738
       (1967),       asserting   there   were   no
    meritorious   grounds   for   appeal,    but    questioning    whether    the
    district court fully complied with the requirements of Fed. R.
    Crim. P. 11 as well as whether the sentence is reasonable.          Tillman
    was notified of his right to file a pro se supplemental brief, but
    did not do so, and the Government elected not to file a responsive
    brief.
    Because Tillman did not seek to withdraw his guilty plea
    in the district court, any alleged Rule 11 error is reviewed by
    this court for plain error.      United States v. Martinez, 
    277 F.3d 517
    , 524-26 (4th Cir. 2002).      To establish plain error, Tillman
    must show that an error occurred, that the error was plain, and
    that the error affected his substantial rights.            United States v.
    White, 
    405 F.3d 208
    , 215 (4th Cir. 2005).           We have reviewed the
    record and find no error.
    Tillman also contends that his sentence is unreasonable.
    However, the district court appropriately treated the Sentencing
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    Guidelines as advisory, properly calculated and considered the
    advisory guideline range, and weighed the relevant 18 U.S.C.
    § 3553(a) (2000) factors.      See United States v. Hughes, 
    401 F.3d 540
    , 546-47 (4th Cir. 2005).           As Tillman’s applicable advisory
    guideline range of 360 months to life imprisonment was greater than
    the statutory maximum of 240 months’ imprisonment, see 21 U.S.C.
    § 841(b)(1)(C) (2000), the court properly determined that the
    statutory maximum was the advisory guideline sentence.            See U.S.
    Sentencing Guidelines Manual § 5G1.1(a) (2005).             Thus, Tillman’s
    240-month sentence is presumptively reasonable.         See United States
    v. Green, 
    436 F.3d 449
    , 457 (4th Cir.), cert. denied, 
    126 S. Ct. 2309
     (2006); see also Rita v. United States, 
    127 S. Ct. 2456
    ,
    2462-65 (2007) (approving presumption of reasonableness accorded
    sentences within properly calculated guideline range).           We discern
    no basis to conclude that the presumption of reasonableness has
    been overcome.
    In accordance with Anders, we have reviewed the entire
    record in this case and have found no meritorious issues for
    appeal.   Accordingly, we affirm the conviction and sentence.          This
    court requires that counsel inform her client, in writing, of his
    right to petition the Supreme Court of the United States for
    further review.    If the client requests that a petition be filed,
    but counsel believes that such a petition would be frivolous, then
    counsel   may    move   this   court     for   leave   to   withdraw   from
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    representation.      Counsel’s motion must state that a copy thereof
    was served on the client.      We dispense with oral argument because
    the facts and legal contentions are adequately presented in the
    materials   before    the   court   and     argument   would   not   aid   the
    decisional process.
    AFFIRMED
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